The government denies the presence of Dae’sh saying that the recent attacks on Hindu and Christian priests, shrines, Shia and Ahmadiyya mosques were carried out by local militant groups with the help of BNP-Jamaat to destabilise the country.
Source/Credit: Dhaka Tribune
By Mohammad Jamil Khan, Sazzadur Rahman Sazzad
Posted February 22, 2016
Law enforcers suspect that members of banned Islamist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) slit the throat of the priest of a Hindu temple in Panchagarh’s Debiganj yesterday morning as part of their series of attacks on religious leaders and establishments.
Joggeshwar Roy, 50, who had no enemies and never threatened, was slaughtered with a machete on the verandah of his house, beside the Sonto Gaurio Temple, around 7am. Neighbour Gopal Chandra Roy, 35, received bullet injuries as he tried to save the priest.
The injured was sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for treatment, said Babul Akther, officer-in-charge of Debiganj police station.
An abandoned crude bomb covered with black scotch tape having IS (Islamic State) mark on it was recovered from the spot. The law enforcers also seized the murder weapon, a blood-stained jacket, bullet shells and fresh bullets.
The Islamic State or Dae’sh claimed responsibility for the murder of the priest, said US-based jihadi activities monitoring website SITE Intelligent Group last night. Dae’sh made similar claims after several attacks since last year.
The attack took place at a time when the US claims that Bangladesh is under the threat of the Middle East-based group. The US has also offered Bangladesh to assist in combating the international terrorist group.
The government, however, denies the presence of Dae’sh saying that the recent attacks on Hindu and Christian priests, shrines, Shia and Ahmadiyya mosques were carried out by local militant groups with the help of BNP-Jamaat to destabilise the country.
According to the eyewitness, three people came to the temple on a motorcycle. They first threw a hand bomb on the tin-shed house of Joggeshwar, and as the priest came out of the prayer room, two of them slit his throat with the machete.
They left the place safely by blasting two bombs on the premises and firing gunshots at Gopal.
Nitaipoda Das, an eyewitness, said that he woke up hearing gunshots. Opening the door he found a man aged nearly 30-35 standing in front of the temple with a pistol in his hand. The man was wearing a black jacket, he said.
“I saw two other people attacking the priest on the balcony,” Nitai said, adding that the man with a gun fired at him but he survived by running towards the local market.
Panchagarh Superintendent of Police Gias Uddin Ahmed, who visited the spot, said that the assailants first entered the temple by blasting a crude bomb. Hearing the sound, Joggeshwar came out of the temple and tried to run away. But two assailants caught him after a brief chase. They later slaughtered him.
“At that time, Gopal tried to save the priest but the third assailant shot at him that hit his leg and hand,” Gias told the Dhaka Tribune quoting witnesses.
He added that even though all the temples of the area had been under tight security, there was no police yesterday due to special duty centring the Language Martyrs’ Day.
Locals demonstrated on Panchagarh-Debiganj road after the murder demanding arrest of the killers immediately. They also announced a human chain and demonstration in Bijoy Chattar area today protesting the murder.
Brother of the slain priest Rabindra Roy said that Joggeshwar was unmarried. He established the temple after selling all his properties in 1998. He used to discuss religious issues with the local Hindus and priests coming from different places at the temple.
Killers were professional
Analysing the crime scene, Anowar Hossain, assistant police superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department of Dinajpur, said that they had collected evidence and samples from the spot and were assisting other forces in the investigation.
Filing of a case accusing three to five unidentified assailants was under way with Debiganj police station.
Inspector (investigation) Ayub Ali, who got the charge of investigation, told the Dhaka Tribune that the attack was pre-planned, and that well-trained killers conducted the attack.
Eye on militants, especially JMB
DIG Monirul Islam, also the chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CT), said that it was not a scattered incident. The murder might have been committed by the members of JMB as part of their series of attacks that began last year.
The CT officials are conducting investigation in collaboration with the local police. “If needed, we will visit the area to assist the police,” he said.
Humayun Kabir, deputy inspector general of Rangpur range police, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had found similarity with the recent attacks by the JMB in Dinajpur. “We are suspecting that the attack was carried out by the same outfit as the style was very much similar with the previous attacks,” he added.
Read original post here: Bangladesh: Panchagarh Hindu priest slaughtered
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